


Photograph

by alisha_mendelsohn



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earth, Season 4 Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisha_mendelsohn/pseuds/alisha_mendelsohn
Summary: Prompt: Photobooth. Memories.
Relationships: Caitlin Snow/Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells
Comments: 12
Kudos: 23





	Photograph

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ageless_aislynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ageless_aislynn/gifts).



> I had this prompt that I thought of a while ago, but it was only when I read Aislynn's "I Know" that I was inspired to get the entire story planned out - definitely became longer than I had intended - the title is based on Ed Sheeran's song of the same name too!

Caitlin sighed to herself as she took in the sight in front of her, already able to hear Cisco's exclamation of surprise if he was around - _“did a tornado rip through your apartment when you weren't looking, Cait?”_ \- and though she loathed to admit it, that assessment wasn't entirely wrong. She stood in her living room with her arms crossed, taking in the vast number of boxes that lay scattered throughout the room. Old research papers, high school textbooks, certificates, thesis work, everything one could possibly name, Caitlin was sure she had it stored… but perhaps not as neatly as she thought she had managed to keep them over the years.

“Well, let's get to it.” She said out loud, reaching up to tie her hair into a messy bun. 

After all, this was the only time she'd really have to deal with the mess. Barry had suggested that Team Flash take a few days off from… well, everything… to try and recover. Crisis was over, he was still alive; and Caitlin couldn't have been more thankful for that, given how much she and the others had worried about his impending fate over the past several months… now that they were on the other side of the fight… it was time to stop and pick up the pieces. She tried hard not to dwell on her thoughts too much, for even though Barry and the others were all still here, Caitlin couldn't help but remember the countless people they had lost along the way - friends, allies, those who were much more important than she'd let on…

“Breathe Cait, you got this.” Sitting down in the middle of the chaotic mess that was her house, she pulled a box close and started sorting through the things she didn't need and what she wanted to keep.

It wasn't that she hadn't allowed herself to grieve, no, on the contrary, if there was one thing she'd learned all those years ago when she lost Ronnie… it was that shutting off her emotions would only make things worse. Barry had taken her and Cisco to Star City for Oliver's funeral, she had met Felicity and Diggle and everyone else and in a way Caitlin knew that that had helped her to mourn those that had fallen - every day was still hard, but she wasn’t alone and she knew it’d get better slowly. Having something to do helped take her mind off it; and even though that all too familiar ache was in her heart, Caitlin thought that she was coping as best as she could… and had even convinced herself of the fact… until… her hand brushed up against a folder that she’d left atop one of the dozen cardboard boxes next to her, accidentally knocking it to the floor, scattering everything all over the place.

“What on Earth-” She started to say, almost ready to give up barely two hours into cleaning, when her eyes fell on something she thought she’d completely forgotten about. “Oh.” 

Inside the file, amongst other odds and ends, were a few strips of photographs that had slipped out, catching Caitlin’s attention when she picked them up and realized just what they were. Pictures taken at a photo booth a few years ago, one night when Team Flash were out on the town enjoying a night off from fighting meta’s - herself, Barry, Iris, Cisco and… Harry. The five of them were in a selection of group photos together and even as Caitlin held it in her hand, the memory of that night, vivid as ever, came rushing back to her as if it was just yesterday.

____________________________

**_Central City, Almost 2 Years Ago:_ **

_The end of an era. That’s what Cisco had said when Harry was on his way back to Earth-2, having successfully gotten his intelligence restored; it may not have been what it once was, but he was happy and thankful to them all. And though he was heading home, Caitlin had convinced him to stay… for one more day… to meet Joe and Cecile’s new baby the following morning. He had agreed with little persuasion and to celebrate, they all decided that a night out was the best course of action. After everything was said and done, Barry, Iris, Harry, Caitlin and Cisco met up at a newly opened lounge for dinner and drinks. It was a relaxed, fun-filled night - one that turned into more excitement once Cisco realized that there was a photo booth that they’d acquired at their location - which was obviously an opportunity none of them could pass up on._

_“A photo… booth?” Harry asked quizzically as he finished the last of his dessert, wondering what exactly the plan was._

_“Yes! We totally have to try it out guys!” Cisco was practically bouncing in his seat - from his vantage point, he was keeping an eye on the line, trying to gauge the best chance for them to have a turn._

_“Do you not have photo booths on Earth-2?” Curiosity getting the better of her, Caitlin turned to talk to Harry, not realizing when her hand brushed against his, they were seated side by side and even almost as soon as she started to draw away, he casually tapped the back of her hand before replying._

_“We used to perhaps, decades ago.” He started to say, “Although something tells me that it’s something quite… antiquated back on our Earth. You’d be more likely to find it in a museum than in a restaurant lounge.” Harry’s attention was solely on Caitlin as they talked, but their interaction wasn’t entirely unobserved._

_Barry and Cisco were deep in discussion about the different kinds of poses they definitely had to try out, talking animatedly as they made plans, and though she had finished her dessert already, Iris was more than content to sit back and have her wine as she listened to her husband, because it also gave her a chance to watch Harry and Caitlin; a possibility they may not have thought about, but the more she saw the way they seemed… happy… to be in each other’s company, the more she felt the beginnings of a plan forming._

_“It’s time! Let’s do this already!” Cisco got to his feet and immediately rushed over to get ahead of everyone else._

_“Are you guys coming?” Barry asked as he offered a hand to his wife._

_“Harry? Will you join us?” Iris didn’t want to seem like there was any pressure, but she hoped to whisper something to Barry as soon as she could._

_“Think of it as a memento for Jesse.” Caitlin said. “Something to take back from Earth-1. Memories of us.”_

_“I suppose you make a good point, Snow. And we wouldn’t want to disappoint Ramon now would we?” Harry relented as he stood, following Barry’s lead as he held out his arm for Caitlin; it seemed like a no-brainer, and when she linked her arm around his, the smile that lit up his face was… heartwarming._

__________________________________

Caitlin hadn’t known then, that it would be the last night she would see Harry, but if she had… no no no, she couldn’t start to think like that… thinking about him… about Jesse… about how Earth-2 had been the first to be hit by the anti-matter wave. A part of her knew that throughout the events of Crisis unfolding, every emotion she was feeling needed to be compartmentalized if there would be any hope of getting past the fight that they all faced, and that was exactly what she had done. Kept her thoughts and emotions under lock and key, buried under the rational side of her mind. And now that there was nothing but time to mourn, Caitlin was scared that if she started crying, then she wouldn’t stop. 

“Oh Harry…” She could already feel her eyes watering as she lingered over the pictures, remembering all the things that they had left unsaid.

The first few pictures had Cisco making sure that Barry took his place front and center with himself and Caitlin on either side of him - OG Team Flash as he called it - the three friends making funny faces at the camera and hugging one another. Then they pulled Iris and Harry into the _tiny_ booth, cramping it up more than it had been already and in all of the nudging and pushing and jostling each other, somehow Caitlin had ended up on Harry’s lap with his arm half encircled around her waist - almost but not quite touching - mostly to balance the jumble they had found themselves in. Still, there was nothing but smiles and laughter all around, captured in these pictures… memories that Caitlin had found herself the guardian of. And then she saw it. The last section of pictures that she didn’t think were part of the collection; simply because she didn’t know that the camera had captured this moment. Of her and Harry.

___________________________

_The others were slowly tumbling out of the photo booth, pulling aside the curtain to allow more people to have their turn at taking pictures, leaving Harry and Caitlin to follow after them once there was space again to move. And yet, even as she stood up from the bench, almost instinctively, he reached out and caught her wrist, effectively stopping her in her tracks as she turned around-_

_“Snow…” Harry’s voice was a soft whisper and that look in his eyes… the one she couldn’t describe… that always left her feeling as if her heart was in her throat… that moment was something the camera had captured without either of them realizing it._

_“Harry? Is everything okay?” She asked, wondering what he was thinking._

_“Hold on to the pictures will you?” He said to her. “I’ll come back for them.”_

_“Sure… but why not take them now?” Caitlin agreed without even needing to think of an answer._

_And yet, before he could answer her, Cisco had returned, calling their names and beckoning them to rejoin the group, the night was getting late and they were heading home. He would have even stuck his head back inside if it wasn’t for Iris pulling him back - her admonishing him lost on both Harry and Caitlin as they both made their way outside… that time… that chance… to maybe hear him say something else, gone. Or so she thought._

______________________________

Here she was now, nearly two years later sitting in her apartment, surrounded by all of these memories of her past, her childhood, her college years, her work, things that were part of her personal life and Caitlin realized that… even though she kept the pictures with her… almost everything that she could bear to see time and time again, this was different. This was personal. And with this moment of her and Harry’s frozen in time forever… she didn’t realize when the tears started to fall but now that they had… she took a deep shaky breath and wiped her eyes before standing up, resolving to do something before she curled up on the sofa with a blanket until Barry and Iris or Cisco came to check in on her. 

Walking to her room, she spent the next several minutes rummaging through the drawers by her bed, searching for something that she vaguely remembered seeing only a week ago; and as luck would have it, she found it exactly where she thought it was. And it was just then when the doorbell rang, causing her to frown.

“They’re early.” Caitlin checked the time as she made her way towards the doors, holding the pictures and a necklace in her hand; one with a locket that her grandmother had left behind several years ago that Caitlin hadn’t really used, hadn’t really thought she was someone who would. “I’m coming!” She called out on hearing the constant ringing that didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

As soon as she opened the door however, Caitlin came to the conclusion - much _much_ later than an instantaneous reaction - that no matter what she did, how she held herself in the days following Crisis, whoever she had by her side for support, nothing would have prepared her to come face to face with none other than Harry Wells. Who stood at the threshold of her apartment, dressed as he always was in black with his signature jacket and those black and white glasses which didn’t hide his bright blue eyes as much as enhance them, something Caitlin could never figure out how that was possible. 

“Snow…” He said, not really sure what else he could say, Harry had never been a man of many words and even now in this moment, when he knew there was so much he could say to her… just the sight of her was enough to take his breath away.

Caitlin stood there, staring wide eyed and open mouthed at him, trying to process what she was seeing, half wondering if she had reached the hallucinations stage of her grief or if this was a waking dream or if… by some… miracle that she didn’t think she believed in… he was actually, _truly_ … here. Perhaps she could have reached out to touch him, a quick poke might have done the job, she could have also maybe said something and heard his reply, there were a couple of things that Caitlin could have done… and yet… after what seemed like forever - but was really no more than a few minutes of shocked silence - she felt her legs give underneath her and if it wasn’t for Harry’s quick reflexes, Caitlin might’ve fallen; in fact she did, straight into his arms that automatically reached out and caught her.

“Whoa! Hey, hey… you’re okay… I got you.” Clearly he should have tried a different approach than showing up out of nowhere and scaring her the way he had, but then and there, Harry didn’t pause to think about anything else. 

He stayed where he was, holding her close to him, letting the two of them just be for a minute or two. Hell, he would have remained there for however long he could if it meant being able to _feel_ Caitlin in his arms again, breathe in her familiar scent, resting his chin atop her forehead; _was she thinner than the last time they’d met-_ he couldn’t remember, but then again he had an idea of how hard the past few weeks had been on her. He had died after all. Or so she thought. There was a lot to talk about. 

“Harry?” Caitlin mumbled into his shoulder, gripping his shirt with her free hand as if it was the only thing keeping him tethered here. To her. “Are you… are you real?” She dared to ask; her eyes were squeezed shut and she was briefly aware of breathing heavily.

“I am Snow, I’m real. I’m here.” Harry whispered, his hand going to the back of her head, caressing her gently.

“But… you… you died.” She said, not willing to let go just yet. Not willing to open her eyes.

“I know. I can explain; do you want to open your eyes maybe?” 

She shook her head, tightening her hold around his back, terrified of his suggestion because despite all logic telling her that ghosts weren’t solid even if they had corporeal bodies, Caitlin didn’t know that he wouldn’t vanish if she opened her eyes. She wasn’t ready. 

“Alright, well, may I come in at least?” That laugh, the one which she could feel in his chest reverberating against her own was all at once strange and yet not. Harry Wells had rarely if at all ever, laughed in his life… but it felt… like him. 

“Yes.” Caitlin whispered into his shoulder and let herself be walked into the house again with his support; she heard the door closing behind them, still holding onto him which made for a slightly slow and not easily maneuverable walk.

Still, they managed to make it to the living room without any disasters, Harry carefully sitting them down on the sofa; only when he moved to touch her cheek and say the one thing he knew would probably work did he get a reaction from her.

“ _Caitlin._ ” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d said her name, but it did the trick. 

He felt her loosen her hold on him and slowly pull herself back, blinking away the tears from her eyes, tears she didn’t realize had fallen on his shirt, and _looked_ into those blue eyes she didn’t think she would see again.

“Hi.” 

“Hi.”

“You’re really here.” She repeated once more, a statement this time rather than a question. “How? I thought- we heard… Earth-2 was the first to… there was an anti-matter wave… before the Crisis even began.” Caitlin paused when it hit her, “Oh gods, Jesse! Is she…”

“She’s fine too. We’re all fine Caitlin.” Harry was perfectly calm as he sat beside her, never taking his eyes off her. 

“What happened?” 

“Well… it was… I don’t want to say ‘dumb luck’ but I don’t really know how to explain it.” Harry began his story, “Jesse and I weren’t even on Earth-2 when the anti-matter wave hit, we were on Earth-19.” 

“H.R’s Earth?” Caitlin didn’t know what she was expecting, but she certainly hadn’t thought that Harry would be on another Earth entirely, although it made sense… maybe?

As if reading her mind, Harry went on, “We were all gathered there - the Council of Harrisons. And Wells. About a dozen of us. There was a message from Jay Garrick from Earth-3; apparently Barry had visited him before all this went down and it seemed to me that the best thing I could do to help was try and gather all of… myself… to find a way to assist Barry in the fight. Jesse was with me when we left S.T.A.R. Labs and I’m thankful for that because without her, we all wouldn’t have made it out of there when the anti-matter wave finally reached us.”

That was the second time he’d said “all” and it finally registered something in Caitlin’s mind. 

“You aren’t just talking about you and Jesse are you?” She breathed as it hit her. “You _all_ made it out alive. The other Harrison’s as well.”

“They did. I- we don’t know what happened exactly. There was a breach that opened up somehow- we were at H.R’s S.T.A.R. Labs, with Jesse’s quick thinking, we all went through, one after the other, trying not to get caught in between the Earth’s and somehow, we ended here. On Earth-1.” 

“Does that mean Sherloque…?” Caitlin had been grieving for him too, she had gotten close to him last year and after a fond farewell, once she knew that the entire multiverse of Harrison’s were all gone, she mourned for them in different ways.

“Ah yes. The French detective. We met, he’s with us too. Herr Wells and Sonny, the other me who fancies himself a playboy- and I’m fairly certain there was a grey wizard of a Harrison in the group, unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. Traveling via breaches isn’t fun I can tell you that.”

At that, Caitlin couldn’t help but laugh. Or something between a sob and a laugh, for she could still feel the tears welling up again, though perhaps these were happy tears? Harry brushed away the unshed tears with his thumb as they fell into silence again… there was so much that she wanted to say… wanted to ask… 

“Did you- was Barry there? Or Cisco?” 

“It was strangely empty, although maybe by now the intruder alarm or something may have been tripped - we reached here less than an hour ago.”

“Are you saying that… the other Harrison’s are still there?” Caitlin’s eyes widened at the thought of eleven different Harrison Wellses alone at S.T.A.R. Labs - twelve if she counted Nash, she wondered if he was there. 

“Sherloque was more than happy to stay behind and make sure that the other… us… don’t stray from S.T.A.R. Labs until we could figure out what to do.”

“And Jesse?” 

“Ah. Well… she wanted to go and find Wally. I think, after everything that’s happened, she thought that seeing a familiar face would be the best course of action. She’ll be back soon enough.” 

“We should- if there’s… I mean… the others… how is this going to work exactly? I’m not sure I can even wrap my head around everything.”   
  
Caitlin stood up a little too quickly, almost forgetting that she was still recovering from the shock, but luckily Harry had anticipated what she was about to do and reached out to hold her hand, the one that was still holding the pictures… of them. 

“You kept them.” Harry said, knowing what they were before he noticed the necklace.

“I found them today… I knew they were here somewhere.” She remembered his words from that night. “You said you were going to come back for them.” 

“I did.” 

Caitlin opened her mouth to say something but… she couldn't bring herself to ask Harry what she wanted to. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Harry Wells was now a mind reader; but he just knew _her_ more than she knew herself. 

“Ask me.” 

“Why did you come here?”

“Because when I found myself back on this Earth after everything was said and done, when I realized that the multiverse was gone, when my Earth was gone, I still had my daughter and my friends and eleven other Harrison’s… I didn’t want to wait.” 

“Wait for what?”

“To find you.” 

“Why?” 

“Because… if I have you then I know that I'm going to be okay. Because I never told you how I felt that night in the photo booth. Because I didn't want to waste this second chance at life. Because I don't want to have any regrets. I may have lost a lot in this Crisis, but I also found my home.” 

“I- I'm… I'm scared Harry. Scared that you're going to disappear on me.” 

“For as long as I'm alive Caitlin, you never will. Not again.”

He reached up to gently pull out the clip that she’d used to tie her hair up earlier that afternoon, letting her hair fall loose over her shoulders, and when she met his gaze, Caitlin finally understood what that look was in his eyes when she’d first seen it back then - she could also see it reflected in her own eyes. This time, when Harry took her in his arms and kissed her at last, she didn’t think about anything else as she kissed him back, her hands going around his neck. The pictures fell to the side as did the necklace, if only temporarily; for though they were together now, Caitlin would soon wear that necklace every day without fail, and inside the locket would be a picture of her and Harry taken at the same photo booth… just the two of them… and one with a dozen other Harrison’s who squeezed in after them too. 


End file.
